Sign in using your account

Reid Park Zoo's Asian elephant Connie, left, will be leaving the
zoo to go to San Diego in exchange for a herd of African elephants
to go into the zoo's new enclosure. Connie and Shaba, right, have
been together for 29 years.

Elephants now both going to San Diego

Tucson zoo's Connie, Shaba to stay together after public outcry

Reid Park Zoo's Asian elephant Connie, left, will be leaving the
zoo to go to San Diego in exchange for a herd of African elephants
to go into the zoo's new enclosure. Connie and Shaba, right, have
been together for 29 years.

Connie and Shaba will stay together after all - "as long as
needed," says Reid Park Zoo spokeswoman Vivian VanPeenen.

Tucson and Reid Park Zoo officials, working behind the scenes on
a deal the public didn't know about, finalized it Tuesday to move
both elephants to the San Diego Zoo's Elephant Odyssey exhibit,
city officials revealed in a news release last night.

"I am glad we found a solution that will keep Connie and Shaba
together and provide them with excellent care," Tucson Mayor
Jonathan Rothschild said in the news release, after taking part in
a conference call with San Diego Zoo officials. "This is a really
good result for Connie, Shaba and the Tucsonans of all ages who
love them."

Previously, Tucson officials had planned to ship Connie, the
Asian elephant, to San Diego without Shaba, her African elephant
pal of 30 years.

Accreditation standards do not allow the mixing of Asian and
African elephants when zoos establish new herds, which Reid Park
Zoo plans to do this year. Local zookeepers had said Connie
couldn't stay here after Tucson obtains a herd of breeding African
elephants from San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The plan had been to
integrate Shaba into that new herd in a new exhibit that the Reid
Park Zoo hopes to open in the spring. Under zoo accreditation
standards, a herd must contain at least three elephants.

But a pair of local activists spearheaded a public outcry,
saying Connie and Shaba shouldn't be separated after spending so
many years together. Jessica Shuman and Tracy Toland even enlisted
former "The Price Is Right" host Bob Barker in their campaign, and
Barker said he would use his own money to move the two elephants
together to a California sanctuary if Tucsonans would raise a
matching $500,000.

It turns out, VanPeenen explained Tuesday night, that the San
Diego Zoo's Elephant Odyssey exhibit has a single African elephant
mixed in with its Asian elephant herd. That means Connie and Shaba
can both be moved there without violating zoo accreditation
standards.

"Once they're settled in, the San Diego Zoo will evaluate"
whether Connie and Shaba should both stay with that herd, VanPeenen
said. But zookeepers do anticipate Connie will gravitate to the
Asian elephants while Shaba will be drawn to the African, she
said.

Connie and Shaba will now travel together to San Diego. A travel
date hasn't been set.

Asked whether Reid Park Zoo will try to take Barker up on his
financial offer, VanPeenen said, "We would love to take him up on
his offer, but … Bob Barker's only interest is his anti-zoo agenda.
I think I can guarantee you he would never give money to a
zoo."